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By Kate Kelland
LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - British enthusiasm for the
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has faded in the past month,
reflecting rising unease about its possible links to rare
adverse side effects, though overall UK confidence in vaccines
is high, an updated survey has found.
The survey of almost 5,000 people showed a significant
increase in the proportion who said they want to be vaccinated
against COVID-19 as soon as possible, but also found that almost
a quarter of those asked now believe the AstraZeneca
vaccine causes blood clots – up from 13% last month.
Reports of possible links to very rare blood clots have
dented confidence in the AstraZeneca shot, which was developed
with Oxford University scientists and shown in trials to be 76%
effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19.
More than a dozen European countries temporarily suspended
its use after reports of blood clots combined with low platelets
in a very small number of people who had received it. Many
countries have resumed using the shot, but with some
restrictions.
"The blood clot scare has affected how some of the
(UK)public view the AstraZeneca vaccine – but has not reduced
confidence in vaccines overall," said Bobby Duffy, director of
King's College London's Policy Institute which co-led the study.
"In fact, the trend has been towards increased commitment to
get vaccinated – and quickly – as the rollout has progressed so
well, with no sign of serious widespread problems."
Both the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Britain's
Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have reviewed
the vaccine's safety in the wake of the blood clot reports. They
say no causal link has been established, and that the vaccine's
benefits in preventing COVID-19 far outweigh any risks.
The UK survey was conducted between April 1 and 16 and
covered 4,896 UK adults aged between 18 and 75. It was designed
as a follow-up to a study first conducted late last year to
track how and why views of COVID-19 vaccines have changed.
It found that 17% of respondents now say that if they had a
choice, they would prefer to have the AstraZeneca vaccine - down
from 24% towards the end of March.
It also found that the majority of those asked whether the
shot causes blood clots are most likely to say that claim is
false, or that they don't know whether it is true.
(Reporting by Kate Kelland, editing by Mark Heinrich)
